12 July 2009

Weekend Reading Roundup (Best and Worst Edition)

Well, the Cubs and the Phillies are on simultaneously, so the previous Fumo, bad-quote and Gatti posts will have to make depth do. Here's a collection of stories, tidily, rapidly recapped with off-the-top-of-my-head subheds (mini-headlines, for the non-journos out there).

Worst place to walk a dog: That would be the courtyard of the Locust Court Apartments in Winslow, NJ. The walker was shot and killed. No word on the walkee's fate.

Best breakdown on the possibility of the Phils landing an ace not named Cole and not hovering around .500: Bob Ford's column.

Worst example of ignoring the real reason that the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision in the New Haven case is correct and just: I like Harold Jackson, but he misses the point when he cries foul today about Ricci v. DeStefano. People who cheered the decision aren't doing wrong by minorities, or saying Obama's election ended racism. That's an easy argument to line up, though, but overly simplistic and inaccurate. They just realize it doesn't matter what color the person is who saves your life from ending in a fire. Because, it doesn't. But, it does if qualified people aren't getting those life-saving jobs just because the color of their skin is white.

Worst example of contempt-of-court gone wild: "A Delaware County judge had issued the order to jail Chadwick for failing to deposit $2.5 million in a court-controlled account to be used to pay alimony to his ex-wife, Barbara 'Bobbie' Applegate." His 14 years ended Friday. For context, 14 years is the max Fumo could face. And he stole from everybody.